


Some Mistakes Get Made (That's Alright, That's Okay)

by tehfanglyfish



Series: Five Times [4]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Canon Era, Deviates From Canon, F/M, Getting Together, Gwen Deserves A Happy Ending, Past Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Past Gwen/Gwaine, Past Gwen/Lancelot (Merlin), Past Gwen/Merlin, Past Gwen/Morgana - Freeform, Why Is This A Rarepair?, hints of Merlin/Arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:07:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24239269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tehfanglyfish/pseuds/tehfanglyfish
Summary: Five times Gwen fell for the wrong person, plus one time she got it right.
Relationships: Gwen/Leon (Merlin)
Series: Five Times [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1338376
Comments: 22
Kudos: 82





	Some Mistakes Get Made (That's Alright, That's Okay)

**Author's Note:**

> Title and first line come from "Moral of the Story" by Ashe, which has been playing on repeat in my head for days now. 
> 
> This was written to share the Gweon love and get me back into writing after work consumed my life for a few weeks. Hopefully my mental exhaustion doesn't show too much in the content.
> 
> Facts You Already Knew: These aren't my characters. I don't own this franchise. I have never once made a monies from the fic.

“Some people fall in love with the wrong people sometimes.”

Gwen announced this to no one in particular as she sat in the Rising Sun, nursing a mug of ale.

It was understandable. Despite what the poets and bards said about true love and soulmates, love could be complicated. How could someone, especially a young someone, get it right on the very first try?

“My problem,” Gwen continued, not paying attention to the person who took the seat next to hers, “is that I keep falling in love with the wrong person over and over again.”

1

The cycle began with Morgana, Gwen’s first love.

Gwen fell hard for Morgana, who was the complete opposite of everything one might expect Uther’s ward to be. Instead of a demanding tyrant, Gwen found a warm and kind young woman, willing to stand up against injustice even if it got her in trouble with the king.

They took to each other immediately, sharing their frustrations and fears of forever being trapped in the unfulfilling roles that society had set for them. Their friendship intensified and Gwen knew she was in trouble when they went to help Merlin save Ealdor from raiders. Morgana had been brave and selfless. And, if Gwen was completely honest, incredibly hot. The image of Morgana wielding a sword while clad in leggings and armor made regular appearances in Gwen’s dreams. As luck would have it, Morgana had been having similar thoughts about Gwen.

Soon after their return, they shared confessions and kisses, and nights spent curled up in Morgana’s bed. As they were both women, no one raised an eyebrow, especially since Morgana’s nightmares had been getting worse.

The bad dreams were the beginning of the end of what Gwen had imagined would be her happy ever after. Gwen had no problem with the magic. She understood Morgana’s anger toward Uther and the secrets he’d been keeping about his connection to her. It was the creeping bitterness and misdirected rage that took a toll on what they shared.

“If I stay here, I’m going to become something horrible,” Morgana explained as Gwen helped her pack. “I need some time to sort things and the druids have offered me sanctuary. I’ll always love you but…”

“I understand,” Gwen said. It was true but that didn’t make the hurt any easier.

2

Morgana’s departure led to Gwen’s second great romantic blunder.

After Morgana, Merlin had been her next closest friend in the castle. He had a talent for observation, immediately picking up on the fact that Gwen’s sorrow ran deeper than a servant longing for her old mistress.

Never once did Merlin pry, but he regularly showed up at her door with a bottle of wine, a plate of food nicked from the royal kitchens, and a shoulder to cry on. It was nice to have someone to laugh with at night after work.

In hindsight, Gwen wasn’t quite sure why she kissed Merlin. Maybe because he was cute and she’d had a crush on him years before. Maybe because she wanted to prove she had moved on from Morgana.

Whatever the reason, Gwen made her move and immediately regretted it. Merlin kissed her back with politeness rather than passion.

“I can’t,” he explained before he left. “You’re very beautiful and my best friend. Morgana was a fool to leave you. But my heart belongs to someone else.”

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t know.”

“It’s alright. You couldn’t know because I haven’t told anyone – not even them.”

“Well you should. She’s a lucky woman.”

Merlin said nothing and instead smiled sadly before ducking out the door.

3

Gwen supposed that Merlin felt bad for her because after that night he began playing matchmaker. Perhaps he thought she’d be content to replace one Pendragon sibling with another. Increasingly Gwen found herself alone in Arthur’s company as Merlin asked her to trade off work each day.

Merlin hauled water for Gwen so she could serve the prince his dinner. Instead of making beds in guest chambers, she was delivering Arthur’s laundry. And on one occasion, Merlin tricked the pair of them into meeting up for a picnic he’d laid out in a meadow.

“We’re already here,” Arthur said as he surveyed the scene. “We might as well eat.”

As it turned out, the prince was easy to talk to. He had his sister’s kind heart and none of his father’s malice. Arthur told her of his fears of becoming like Uther, his vision for a more equitable Camelot, and his desire to marry for love rather than diplomacy. In turn, Gwen shared her own hopes and dreams. She was happy to work in the castle, but she didn’t want to be a maid forever.

“Maybe we can help each other,” Arthur told her.

Soon Merlin began dropping by her house again at night, delivering bouquets and love tokens from Arthur.

At first it was exciting to be caught up in clandestine romance with the prince. The gifts were nice and the love notes were even better. (Strangely, the handwriting for those letters better matched Merlin’s but Gwen chose not to dwell on it – perhaps Arthur was dictating them out.) There was the thrill of stolen kisses in abandoned corridors and secret meet ups on the ramparts at night.

And yet it always felt as though Arthur was holding back. He did all the right things, but his actions were more like a man following a courtship checklist rather than one consumed by burning love.

Gwen initially thought he was trying to hide their romance from his father. After all, Uther would likely have banished her or worse if he’d discovered them. But the more time she spent in Arthur’s company, the more obvious it became that something else was at play.

She put the pieces together one afternoon when Merlin had tagged along for a ride through the forest. Uther had fallen ill and as regent, Arthur had more freedom to go about as he pleased.

The day was beautiful and the banter between them was friendly, but as she watched Arthur, it dawned on her that he was staring at Merlin the way that Morgana used to look at her. The ride back to the castle gave her time to think through things she’d witnessed over the years.

“You need to tell him how you feel,” she said to Arthur. He’d walked her home, leaving Merlin to tend to the horses. “It’s not fair to me, it’s not fair to him, and it’s not fair to you.”

“How did you know?”

“It’s the way your eyes shine when he smiles, as though he’s all you can see.”

Gwen swallowed hard, trying her best to hold back the welling tears. As one fell free, Arthur wiped it away.

“Guinevere, I think you are the wisest person I know. And if you are on speaking terms with me when I take the throne, I intend to appoint you to the council.”

The deluge of apology gifts did little to ease the sting of their breakup, but Gwen couldn’t hate Arthur. Their failed courtship ended up being the foundation of another strong friendship for which she was grateful.

Her not-so-subtle nudges finally pushed Arthur and Merlin into one another’s arms. Seeing them together, it was clear they were meant for each other.

And, true to his word, Arthur named her as a royal advisor on the second day of his reign, right after he announced the repeal of the magic ban.

4

Gwaine was a mistake. Gwen knew he would be from the moment he began flirting with her in the streets of Camelot, which was why she almost returned his flower and went on about her business.

The fact that he was willing to take no for an answer was what ultimately changed her mind. Besides, he was charming and his hair could make many a noblewoman jealous.

One drink at the Rising Sun turned into a night of dancing. Gwaine might not be forever, but he was definitely fun.

There were worse mistakes to be made, Gwen decided when she woke up beside him the next morning.

They shared a laugh, then breakfast. There was no awkwardness between them – not then or when Gwaine rose within the ranks of the knights to be second only to Leon. Sometimes they sat beside each other in council meetings, annoying Arthur as they shared inside jokes at his expense.

5

Lancelot was the One. Gwen was certain of it even before she learned his name. Dashing smile, skilled with a sword, refined and humble. What wasn’t there to love?

As he caught her eye from across the training pitch, Gwen felt her knees tremble. No one had looked at her like that since Morgana all those years ago. Within a week of their first meeting, they were caught up in a whirlwind courtship.

Over the course of the next month, Lancelot wrote forty-six poems extolling her beauty. He rivaled Arthur in the number of love tokens given and not once did she fail to find fresh flowers waiting in her house each evening.

By all measures she should have been happy, but trouble was brewing underneath his grand displays.

“I must prove that I’m worthy of you,” he repeatedly told her.

“Fine. You can do so by taking me dancing.”

“I was thinking something bigger, something nobler.”

More often than not, his need to demonstrate his courage and honor kept him away from her. Gwen had no objection to him carrying out his duties as a knight; it was right for him to fight off ferocious beasts and rescue villagers. Of course, he didn’t have to volunteer for every mission that arose. Not even Leon could convince him to take a break.

Eventually all of Camelot’s monsters and bandits had been dealt with, but Lancelot still wasn’t content.

Gwen finally had enough when he entered a tournament circuit through the five kingdoms that would keep him away from Camelot for half a year.

“I hope you find what you’re looking for,” she told him when he broke the news, “but I can’t keep waiting.”

+1

“What I want,” Gwen said to man who’d sat beside her, “is someone stable who won’t walk out on me. I don’t need to be their only focus, but I should be a priority. I want someone fun, but not flighty. Flowers and tokens are nice, but they’re not everything. I want someone who genuinely wants me back. I wouldn’t mind if they were good-looking but I what I really want is… Leon.”

She finally caught sight of who’d taken the seat next to hers.

“Hi, Gwen,” Leon said. “I saw you heading this way. I wasn’t sure if you’d want company, but Merlin said you wouldn’t mind.”

“I’m glad you did. It’s nice to have a friend.”

His hair fell over his eye as he smiled at her and on impulse, Gwen brushed it back. She wondered if the warmth flaring in her cheeks was as visible as the blush crossing Leon’s face.

“Want to get out of here?” he asked as an impromptu drunken chorus began belting out a tavern favorite.

“I would love to. What do you have in mind?”

“I need to check the crossbows for accuracy. I thought maybe you could help.”

Hours later, Gwen collapsed on her bed after what had been the most enjoyable night in as long as she could remember.

Firing bolts at targets had helped her work through some residual anger at Lancelot. All the while, she and Leon had talked, sharing gossip, laughing at their friends, and reminiscing about the adventures they’d had growing up together. Caught up in all of her failed romances, she’d forgotten how easy it was to just _be_ around Leon.

And it didn’t hurt that Leon chose to lean close to help position her arms as he instructed her in how to properly aim the bow.

The next few months brought more archery lessons, as well as dancing, frog-chasing, and lazy evenings at home. The kisses thrown in the mix were a nice touch as well. When Leon finally confessed his heart, it was in a soft whisper rather than a grand display.

Was he her happy ever after? Only time would tell, though Gwen had a good hunch as to what the answer would be. After so many times of getting it wrong, this time Gwen knew she’d gotten it right.


End file.
